This research brief provides age structure data for those enrolled at Ohio's community colleges and baccalaureate institutions and discusses the Ohio Department of Higher Education's credential attainment goals for adults ages 25 to 64.

The objective of this study is to examine the associations between the motivation to learn, basic skills (i.e., literacy and numeracy), and organised adult education and training (AET) participation among the middle-aged and older adults in the USA. Rapid technological advancement and globalisation necessitate individuals to engage in lifelong learning to actively participate in society.

Middle aged and older workers constitute a growing segment of the U.S. labor force. These workers face considerable challenges in the wake of the Great Recession, which have important consequences for the sustainability of social safety net programs and the U.S. economy as a whole. Despite the policy implications of significant unemployment among middle aged and older workers, little is known about specific factors impacting labor market outcomes for this age group, including the role of adult...

Automation and advanced technologies have increased the need for a better understanding of the skills necessary to have a globally competitive workforce. This study used data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies to compare problem-solving skills in technology-rich environments among adults in South Korea, Germany, Singapore, Japan, Canada, Estonia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia.

Lifelong learning, including completing a postsecondary credential, increasingly is necessary to improve employment outcomes among workers, both old and young, who face rising demands for new and improved skills. To satisfy these needs, many states have established postsecondary completion goals pertaining to the segments of their population ages 25 to 64 years. This study uses data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to examine enrollment trends by part-time and...

Health literacy is often viewed as an essential skill set for successfully seeking health information to make health-related decisions. However, this general understanding has yet to be established with the use of nationally representative data. The objective of this study was to provide the first nationally representative empirical evidence that links health information seeking behaviors with health literacy among middle-age to older adults in the United States.

This study evaluates whether an arts-based intergenerational experience, Opening Minds through Art (OMA), increases positive attitudes or allophilia ("liking for the other"in this case, older adults with dementia) in 216 students who joined the OMA program as compared with 499 students in the control group.

A growing segment of the U.S. workforceolder workersface challenges such as a greater chance of being unemployed for a longer period of time than younger workers and skill obsolescence in contemporary societies. In an age of fast-paced economic and technological change, ongoing investment in human capital in the form of skill training represents a potential strategy for improving older workers employment prospects. However, empirical evidence is lacking on the relationship between basic...

This study used data from the 2014 Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) National Supplement to examine relationships among educational attainment, participation in adult education and training, skill proficiencies, health, and economic outcomes for U.S. adults ages 45-74 who are unemployed or not in the labor force.

This study documented the experiences of 19 students who were required to participate in at least 20 hours of intergenerational service-learning for an introductory gerontology course. Because an administrative error prevented students from knowing about the service-learning requirement until they were enrolled, these participants provided a unique perspective of the challenges and positive aspects of their experiences.

People with disabilities can greatly benefit from inclusive health promotion and educational activities already being implemented by local health departments (LHDs), which can help reduce their risk and minimize the severity of secondary conditions. The inclusiveness of programs and services offered by LHDs has yet to be studied; therefore, the National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO) decided to conduct a baseline assessment to better understand LHD administrators’...

Foreword of The "Other" in Ourselves: Exploring the Educational Power of the Humanities and Arts.Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, 37(3), 229-231. doi: 10.1080/02701960.2016.1214481Publication available online, subscription may be required.

The objective of this study is to examine the correlates of healthy aging in the context of educational disadvantage and the extent to which identified correlates are shared with the wider, more educationally advantaged population. Among educationally disadvantaged adults, demographic characteristics (e.g., age), health practices (e.g., physical activity), and the presence of health conditions were independently correlated with healthy aging. With few exceptions, correlates of healthy aging were...

Shifts in the age structure of the U.S. labor force, combined with the increased labor force participation rates (LFPRs) among older adults, require policies and programs that encourage and support employment at older ages. To further understand the enrollment, experiences, and outcomes for older workers enrolled in employment and training programs, the article analyzed data from the participants in the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), and the Program for the International...

Countries around the world, both more and less developed, are experiencing shifts in age structure. Delaying retirement and increasing labor force participation at older ages could increase gross domestic product while also benefiting national wealth and public debt. We visually illustrate key indicators that demonstrate the implications of population aging and why continued work at older ages is important to the economic future for many countries.Public Policy & Aging Report, 25(4),...

Alongside reforms to its social security system, it is argued that older workers in Brazil should be encouraged to remain longer in the labor force and postpone retirement while being productive. A lack of educational attainment is a major challenge for Brazil. The examination of workforce policies in Brazil reveals a fragmented system for workforce development without specific funding for older worker programs.Public Policy & Aging Report, 25(4), 136-138. doi:10.1093/ppar/prv019Publication...

Continuous learning over the life course is necessary to successfully compete in a knowledge-based global economy. While a wide range of individual and community factors play a role in whether older workers receive skills training and remain in the labor force, national policies and practices are also likely to have an influence. This nation-level study used OECD data to identify associations between participation in lifelong learning activities and outcomes such as labor force participation at...

Lifelong learning is receiving greater attention due to population aging in modern societies. Lifelong learning benefits individuals by supporting their physical, psychological, social, and economic well-being. However, older adults generally have lower motivation for learning than younger adults, and facilitating long-term participation in learning activities is still challenging. Results from proportional odds ordinal logistic regression analysis demonstrated that gender, number of household...

The purpose of this study was to assess public beliefs and knowledge about risk and protective factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD). A brief survey module was added to the Health and Retirement Study, a longstanding national panel study of the U.S. population over the age of 50. Respondents were 1641 adults. Most indicated interest in learning their AD risk, with 29.4% expressing active worry. Many failed to recognize that medications to prevent AD are not available (39.1%) or that having an...

An aging workforce, combined with the negative effects of the recent economic downturn, has increased the importance of identifying strategies to encourage working at older ages. The present study examined community college involvement in outreach and support programs for older displaced workers. This involved interviews with 27 key informants at 14 community colleges to gain an understanding of the role community colleges play in linking older students to credential or certificate programs....

The aging services sector must foster and embrace change, evolving to meet the demands of our modern world, lest it go the way of companies like Kodak and Blockbuster-neither of which anticipated or adapted to changes in the marketplace. But when organizations change, it must be with the right strategy. If the aging services sector evolves in the wrong way, generations will feel the impact. It must ask the right questions, be clear about where it needs to go and what the issues are, innovate,...

Growing empirical evidence supports the generally positive relationship between education, health literacy and health outcomes. However, little is known about cohort in this relationship. This study examined the role of cohort defined by 10-year age period in the association between educational attainment, health literacy and self-rated health. The data were obtained from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy survey restricted file. Focusing on nationally representative...

An aging workforce combined with concerns about the long-term viability of social welfare programs has increased the importance of identifying strategies to encourage working at older ages. The present study examined community college involvement in educational programs for older workers. This involved interviews and site visits at 14 community colleges to gain an understanding of the role community colleges play in linking older students to credential or certificate programs. Effective...

This article answers the question, “Why should we care about global aging?” with a look at the first half century (1945-2000) in the study of aging, and then delineates the reasons why studying global aging is crucial: to be educated and potentially share solutions; on a personal level because our aging is directly tied to others through worldwide economics and politics; and to head off distrust between countries.Generations, 6-11(6).Publication available online, subscription may be...

As America ages, greater numbers of older adults will be living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia, leading to increased incidence of wandering. Currently there are several initiatives to assist older adults who go missing. We describe and critically examine three prominent and widespread programs: Safe Return, Project Lifesaver, and Silver Alert. Despite their emergence, there has been little research on their effectiveness. More fundamentally, the nature and scope of the missing...

We examined the effects of a gerontology course and an intergenerational service-learning project for people with dementia (PWD) on three dimensions of students’ attitudes including attitudes toward older people, community service for older people, and working with PWD. Data consisted of a combination of pretest/posttest survey and review of journals that students maintained during the service-learning project. Results indicated that students who completed the gerontology course, and those who...

At the Scripps Gerontology Center, we are focused on work that makes a difference in the lives of aging individuals, their families and their communities. For the GenerAges project, we set out to compile a list of the historical events and life circumstances that came together to shape the lives of individuals turning 100, 85, and 65 years old in 2011. The resulting pages provides a snapshot of each of these groups, capturing the meaningful social changes and major events that have affected...

This report covers activity from the start of implementation to the end of the first OMA term in May 2010. It includes a description of the details of OMA activities at Colonial, and summaries of quantitative and qualitative evaluations that assess the impact of the OMA program.Full Report (PDF 773KB)

This is a state-level case-study of the performance of local Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs in Ohio. In surveying all of the local program directors in Ohio, along with a group of key informants, we identify major strengths and challenges the program is likely to face in the future. Funding and staffing emerge as prominent issues, particularly in determining the longer-term educational and advocay roles these programs ideally fulfill.This study was funded by the Cleveland Foundation.Chartbook...